Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-02
For sale by WEST, JoHSsToN & Co.
Mr. Cnnper,s Guarantee.

Tr. C0oDer's Guarantee.
10 the Editor Of the Dispafch:
Some one has handed me the "dodger' y
issued by Mr.. James z. Cooper pro-
posing to sell coupons for taxes and of
fering 10 give his guarantee Of legal
protection and indemnity free Of all
cost to the purchaser" whereby the tax
payer can "save half his State taxes. q"
/ Or, il the taxpayer shall prefer MIR.
Cooper "will arrange for tender OF cou-
pons for verification, saving the tax payer
| 20 per cent. provided the amount Of
coupons 50 rendered is S75 or over"
Now on that "dodger | would like
to cali attention to two points: The
/ first is what Mr. Cooper's guarantee of
/ legal protection and indemnity is worth.
Mr. Cooper is wholly unknown in Nir-
GINA. In his bill OF complaint in the
case of Il. A. Ayers and others he al
| leges that he has bought $1,000 600 OF
! coupons "for sale TO the taxpayers of
/ Virginia" of course on speculation. OF
this he had already sold up to date of
the complaint, in July or August last,
$50, 600
This discloses all that any one has
! heard Of his means and that from him
self alone Who can find in that any
guarantee that Mr.. Cooper's guarantee is
worth . cent? The presumption is
against him. For if he had the wealth
to enable him to guarantee that "all
taxes due to the State can be paid IN
coupons" (the annual tax due being
abont -, 700, 600 would he condcscend
to speculate in coupons? Could he be
hired to peddle coupons Suppose he
were called upon to-day to pay debt
due a citizen here could he not be held
under the law, az a foreigner, TO give Sc
curity for the debt or 90 to jail. If an
execution were sued ont against him
where is his property to meet it? Who
knows?
Suppose a Lynchburg taxpayer. find
ing that his property was levied upon,
should wire MIR. Cooper for guarantee,
and the answer should be that Mr..
| Cooper had gone to England, where
would the redress be? And why should
not this happen!
Suppose Mr.. Cooper should not re-
spond to the demand, where would be
/ the remedy? An action for damages?
And what would verdict for the plain
/ tiff he worth
Zone - guarantee of indemnity, as
/ stated by Mr.. Cooper in his contract
with Herst a Smith, covenants that he
/ il authorized by the Virginia Committee
/ of Foreign BondhOlders, &c., TO cove
nant-what? That the bOndholders ?
/ No but that "be, the said Cooper, will
save him-harmloss On account OF said
| tender Read it. Does 1t commit the
| bondholders to "seve him harmless 80
| Not at all. But if it did. where is the
evidence that the Virginia committee
/ had any such power themselves or au-
tbority TO delegate any such power to
Mr. Cooper?
Is this either law or business? Here
is the ridiculous covenant filed in the
McCabe case. Read it, and then find
LAWYER that can draw a demurrer proof
declaration under it:
Whereas Herst & Smith, Of Lou
DOM, have purchased from James p.
Cooper So of Virginia taX-receivable
coupons, now, therefore, if the said
Herst 81 Smith shall tender said coupons
for their State taxes the said James p.
Cooper hereby covenants, and he Is au-
thotzcd by the Virginia Committee Of
the Corporation Of Foreign Bondholders
of London SO 70 cover ant, that if the
said Herst & Smith are molasted in any
way bv the officers of the State of Vir-
pinia he, the said james p. Cooper, will
furnish the said Herst & Smith with all
necessary counsel and viii save him
harmless on account OF said tender.
d" Witness my hand and seal this 3lst
day OF November, 1896.
"JAMEs Z. COOrER TSeall.
"91l NQiH street, Richm0nd, ia.
-, 1888.
"Witness William l.. ROyQU"
But be will arrange for tender OF cOu-
pons for yerfcation. saving 20per cent,
provided the amount OF coupons so
rendered is S75 or more. Well,
suppose they try that How many
citizens viii it help? The number Of
people who owe taxes in Virginia isabout
$40, The number who pay is about
2i0,0O. The number who pay ST. and
over is, say 300 That is to say, one
man in one hundred, in round numbers,
will be benefited, and ninety-nine hun
dredtbs must pay in cash. or take the
chances of a suit for the benefit of Mr.
Cooper and under his auspices.
Speaking OF guarantee reminds one Of
Mr.. ROYALS magnificent assurances a
year ago. il cannot have been forgotten
that ia 1856 he, Nr. Cooper's lawyer,
then as now, predicted "heavy dam
ages" in Mr. Dulaneys ease, which,
along With others. would arouse peo-
pie from their decisions and force them
to pay the bondholders' demand. His
representation 10 Taxpayers iuduced
suits for upwards Of 500, coo "a few for
500, 600 and q good many for 100000,
which resulted in verdicis for less than
$1,000 10 all. Ii, now, taxpayers are Sc
duced by the enemies OF the State into
a sordid attempt to save money by re-
duciDg the State to a condition OF an
aIchy, what guarantee can Mr.. Cooper
and Mr.. Royal give that viii "saye
then, harmless ~.
Conservation or IA Btshop.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Ngember 3d.
Rev Father Richard Scanhell, pastor of
ST. Joseph's church, this city, was con-
secrated bishop here to-day. Father
Scanuell was born and educated in IRE
land and was ordained priest in 1871.
Hc will leave for Concordia, Kansas, his
new field OF labor, next Wednesday.